


All Wrong

by Beryll (Rynthjan)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M, Slavery, Torture, mind wiping, phoenix empire, psions rule
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-23
Updated: 2015-03-30
Packaged: 2018-03-19 05:53:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3598797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rynthjan/pseuds/Beryll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prime Yaden deals with renegades who are threatening the Psion Council's rule.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> When I was still writing fan fiction my absolute favourite were AUs. I love casting existing characters in different roles and see how they react. Now I can do it with my very own characters, which is even more fun!
> 
> Thanks for beta to Memprime

Yaden wasn't sure what exactly woke him up, but the moment he sensed cold metal much too close to his skin, he rolled sideways.

A second later and he would have been dead.

The point blank shot from the blaster aimed at his head was so close that it would have been under his energy shield. The pillow where his head had been resting exploded in white hot fire.

The next shot followed immediately. Now the blaster was far enough away that Yaden's shield would have caught the blast, but now he was awake. His senses extended, wrapped around the encapsulated energy of the shot, dissected it and then absorbed it into Yaden's vast reserves without him even doing it consciously.

With the shot fizzling into nothing, the shooter uttered a wordless sound of rage.

It was completely dark in Yaden's bedchamber. It had no windows for security reasons. He preferred it that way, being completely cut off from everything allowed his mind to truly rest.

Yaden didn't need light to find his attacker. The weight of feet on the ground was a clear indicator. With a simple flick of his hand a violent gust of air propelled the intruder backwards and flung him against the far wall. The clatter of metal against the stone floor and a grunt of pain assured him that he had disarmed and stunned the assassin. With another gesture, the wall itself grasped him with several shackles.

A shudder ran through Yaden as the realisation set in that he had been in true danger. It had been a long time since anyone or anything had come this close to killing him. With shaky hands he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing them back from his face and drew a deep breath, calming his mind and body.

Then the door to his bedroom banged open and the room was flooded with noise and blinding light as guards poured in, all of them bristling with energy, their various talents ready to attack whatever might harm one of their precious primes.

The confusion lasted only seconds as the telepath coordinator of the squad grasped the situation and issued commands faster than any mundane could have.

Yaden felt the attention of the squad's medic briefly focus on him to verify that he was alright. A wave of gentle warmth washed over him as the medic used his talents to heal even the very slight burns from the first blaster shot.

With his eyes adjusting to the light, Yaden got a first look at his attacker before the combat specialists of the squad could get between them to shield Yaden from any further danger. A young man, probably not older than Yaden himself, dark wavy hair, dark eyes filled with silent rage at having failed, athletic build but not very tall. He was wearing the simple tunic and pants of a mundane palace slave.

"Prime?" The telepath leader of the squad addressed him with the deference Yaden had grown used to. The telepath didn't dare to scan or even contact him mentally. He still had to check if Yaden was hurt in some way he could not verify.

"How did he get in here?" Yaden growled, the enormity of the event slowly sinking in.

There were so many security measures in place nowadays that it should have been impossible.

Yaden saw fear flash in the eyes of the telepath. It was his job to keep the primes safe while they rested. Failing would mean harsh consequences.

"We will find out, prime." The man said, bowing.

"You'll find nothing." The assassin interrupted him, with a savage little laugh.

Yaden rose to his feet and pushed through the guards. His shackles still held the attacker crushed against the wall, but it wouldn't have mattered. Fully awake, there was nothing that Yaden couldn't counter faster than it could be thrown at him.

The captured man stared at him. If his face hadn't been a mask of hate, he would have been pretty.

"Pick his mind." Yaden commanded calmly. "I expect a full report by morning on how this could have happened."

"Of course, prime." The telepath agreed immediately, visibly relieved that there was a stay in execution for him.

"Do not fry his mind." Yaden added. "I will come to see him myself."

He released the shackles holding the assassin, who was grabbed by the guards before he could move. They dragged him out.

"Is there anything else you will need, prime?" The telepath asked with a glance at the ruined bed.

Yaden looked at it with a sigh. He was tired. A weariness that had settled deep inside and had nothing to do with the draining task he had just returned from. Sleep had been a welcome escape, but he wasn't sure he would be able to fall into it again, now.

"Have it exchanged in the morning." Yaden told the man, dismissing him with a nod. Being awake and alone with his thoughts would not be pleasant, but it was still preferable to having slaves bustling under foot.

The telepath bowed again and then hurried after his team to oversee the intruder's interrogation.

Yaden heard the outer door close and looked up surprised as there was still the weight of additional feet inside his suite.

"Yaden? You're okay?" A familiar and much more welcome voice asked.

He smiled as Anita came into his bedroom, wearing a long, silken dressing gown. The scarlet of the fabric contrasted beautifully with her flowing black hair. It seldom was allowed to cascade down her back as it did now. She must have been woken up by the tumult and come to see him without taking her time to dress up.

"Yes, I'm unhurt." He reassured her and stepped forward to politely embrace her.

Their union had been purely for genetic reasons. No one expected them to spend more time together than was necessary for Anita to conceive, but to their own surprise they had found that they occasionally enjoyed the other's company.

"What happened?" Anita asked.

"An assassin slipped in somehow. Investigations are under way." Yaden answered calmly.

He felt her shiver in his loose embrace.

"Do you want me to stay…?" she asked. Even though they were of level height, she managed to glance up at him.

He was fully aware that she was asking more for her own benefit than his own. One of the attempts on her life had come very close to succeeding. In the same attack her elder brother had been killed. Ivan had been a good friend of Yaden as well. Since then she only slept with a guard in her room, but even then she rarely was truly rested. He was sure that tonight she wouldn't be able to return to sleep. In his presence she would feel almost safe. Since he wouldn't sleep either there was no reason to deny her request.

"Yes." He answered plainly and gestured invitingly to the sitting room.

There was a chess set still waiting in the middle of a match where they had left off a while ago.

Yaden firmly closed the door to the bedroom behind him. The next morning would be a better time to think about assassins and mortality.

-

The dungeons of the Grand Citadel were clean and full of much too bright light. Corridors and cells of polished metal, reflecting the fearful faces of the imprisoned and the cold, hard masks worn by the guards and interrogators.

Yaden rarely had reason to go there. He'd been there maybe a handful of times since he had created the Citadel. This morning, however, he was expected and a senior interrogator met him in the spacious, uncomfortably empty foyer.

The mask hid the woman's features, but Yaden recognized her voice. She was one of Prime Ciel's personal disciples. Obviously the Empire's highest ranking telepath considered the matter as important as Yaden did. She greeted him politely, but didn't attempt any unwelcome small talk.

"What did you discover?" Yaden asked her, as they walked through the maze-like corridors.

"Annoyingly little." She answered without any emotion showing in her voice. "His mind has been wiped completely. Apart from the burning desire to kill you and the unshakable conviction that he himself chose this he remembers nothing at all. Prime Ciel came down personally to do a deep scan. Nothing of his original personality or memories remains."

That explained why the assassin had been so sure of himself despite the fact that he had failed and been captured - his comrades were safe from discovery. Grudgingly Yaden had to admit that it was a smart plan.

"So it's true that the Resistance has at least one skilled telepath working for them." Yaden mused. They had suspected it, but this was the unpleasant confirmation. It made Yaden wonder how much they were paying the traitor. Or whether it was some misguided fool aiding them freely.

"Prime Ciel confirmed it, yes." The interrogator agreed.

"How did he get into the Citadel?" Yaden asked. "He must remember that much."

She nodded. "Yes, he was part of a standard shipment of fresh servant slaves. Since most get mind-wiped before they are brought out here he passed the standard mind scans. Prime Ciel found that the urge to murder you was hidden and only triggered once he actually saw you. He vividly recalls seeing you when you returned from your last mission yesterday, that was when he remembered why he was here. He had actually been here for nearly three months working as a cleaner."

Yaden rubbed his face. "So where did he get the blaster?"

The interrogator sighed audibly, an unusual display of emotion to be sure. "He picked it up in the guard quarters in the showers. Apparently the guards leave their weapons unattended in the locker. No one expected a mind-wiped slave to have any reason to steal a gun.

There was a multitude of reasons Yaden could think of why a slave here at the Citadel would very quickly pick up a reason to shoot one of the resident psions. He drew breath to air his indignant anger, but the interrogator spoke first.

"Obviously, there will be corrections to this practice." Her complete lack of emotion showed clearly that she consider the previous oversight just as aggravating as Yaden did.

It once again reminded Yaden why he had vetoed bringing mundane slaves to the Citadel at all when the Council had first discussed it.

The Citadel had been created as a safe haven for psions, inaccessible to any mundanes. It hovered in empty space, far removed from any star system, unconnected to any jumpgate. The only way to reach it was via psionic teleport.

But Yaden had been outvoted by too many Council members who craved the comfort of having slaves cater to their every whim. At first only personal slaves had been allowed, tightly controlled by their individual masters. Slowly more and more had been brought to the Citadel. Now they crawled under foot everywhere.

The interrogator stopped in front of a featureless cell door. Of course she easily sensed who was behind it and that they had reached the correct door. Her touch was recognized by the sensor next to the door and it slipped open soundlessly.

The cell was made from the same polished metal as the corridors. It lacked all furniture. Its sole occupant sat in one of the corners opposite the doors. With his knees drawn up and arms wrapped around them, he looked small and unthreatening. What little there was left of his mind had been repeatedly dissected in the last few hours by psions who didn't care whether they hurt their subject. He had to be in serious pain. But when he looked up at his visitors, his dark eyes blazed with unrestraint hatred as he noticed Yaden.

Having been the target of the scorn and hatred of many mundanes, this was still an unusual sensation to Yaden since this felt so much more personal and intimate. He almost expected the assassin to try another attack, but the man remained motionless.

Yaden stepped further into the cell while the interrogator remained in the door, effectively blocking any route of escape. Not that there would have been any chance of escape. The Citadel was Yaden's creation, every scrap of metal and stone that formed it had been shaped by his mind and would obey him instantly.

As he studied the captive, he again noted that he was an attractive man. Lean and athletic at the same time, with skin that still retained a healthy tan since he hadn't been at the Citadel long enough to lose it. Unruly dark hair, strong hands. And of course those amazingly alive dark eyes.

"How do you even know you have any reason to hate me?" Yaden said, skipping any from of greeting. "Maybe the memories stolen from you were happy ones."

Hands clenched to hard fists, but apart from that, the man did not react.

Yaden crouched down to bring them to the same eye level. There was something about this assassin that tickled his interest. A spark of hunger he had not felt in a long time, accompanied by a sudden idea how he might use the captive to uncover his allies.

"I think I will have your mind wiped and keep you as my pet." He told the man with a small smile. "A fair payment for your attempt at murdering me, don't you think?"

Now, finally, he got a different response than hatred. Fear and despair made those pretty eyes go wide and the prisoner shook his head. "No." he whispered. "No…"

Yaden ignored his plea and instead turned back to the interrogator. "Please let Prime Ciel know that I would like to speak with him privately." He said. "And do not touch the slave's mind again. I will require special preparations which I will discuss with Ciel."

"As you command, Prime Yaden." The interrogator acknowledged with a bow.


	2. Chapter 2

Cleaned up and with his face relaxed in peaceful slumber, the assassin looked much younger and Yaden found himself thinking that even if nothing came of his plans, he had still made a good bargain. He let his fingers run idly through the strands of his prisoner's dark hair. To think that a short while ago he had silently complained about psions keeping mundane pets and now he thoroughly enjoyed the idea of keeping this pretty young man all to himself.

That of course wasn't the main point. His hope was that the assassin's comrades would try something foolish to free him if he displayed the man openly enough. He and Ciel were especially hoping for a chance to catch the renegade telepath.

They had discussed at length what new memories to implant on the captive. Ciel had offered to craft a whole set of history, but Yaden had suggested to keep it simple. A new past too complicated and extensive would hold the risk of Yaden doing or saying something that didn't fit with it.

His new pet stirred under his fingers and Yaden carefully schooled his features to a kind and slightly worried expression. He trusted Ciel to do a perfect job, but how exactly the former assassin would react, neither of them could foresee. The man moved and then pressed closer against Yaden's hand before his eyes opened and he blinked at Yaden in slight confusion.

"Master…?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Hoarse from screaming it raw when he had been interrogated, but he didn't remember that.

"Hey." Yaden said gently, caressing his cheek and delighting in how the young man chased the sensation by pressing against him. "How do you feel, my sweet?"

"I'm… not sure…" It sounded like he had wanted to say fine to reassure Yaden, but then caught himself as he now looked up at Yaden with deep confusion. "What happened to me…?"

Yaden leaned down and placed a kiss against his pet's brow. "You were stolen from me. A jealous telepath kidnapped you. He tried to erase all your memories of me…"

"Oh…" The man shuddered. "But… I remember… you're my master… and you came to save me…"

That was the only concise memory they had decided to implant. Everything else were just strong emotions - a deep devotion towards Yaden, feelings of safety and happiness associated with Yaden being close.

"Yes, of course I did." Yaden nodded. "You know I would never abandon you."

The smile that now appeared on his pet's face made him blink twice as it transformed him to stunningly attractive. Who'd have thought that a nightly assassin could be such a tasty treat?

"Thank you, master." He murmured and moved closer to Yaden, putting his head into Yaden's lap, begging to be petted.

Yaden smiled down at him, feeling extremely pleased with himself.

-

"Will you need anything else, Prime?" The server asked politely.

The tremor in her voice was almost unnoticeable, but Yaden still knew that the girl was scared. It was very rare indeed that he met anyone in public who wasn't scared of him to some degree. He had gotten used to it over the years. It was comforting, almost, to know that everyone knew just how lethal it could be to annoy him. It greatly reduced the amount of people he actually had to kill.

"No, thank you." He answered just as politely. "I think we will be fine for now."

The server bowed deeply and withdrew from the private alcove. Normally Yaden wouldn't eat at a public place, not even one as luxurious as this, but since he had acquired his new pet he was trying to spend as much time in public as possible. Going shopping, to the opera, eating out - anything that would make him and his pet highly visible. This was the one place he had been frequenting repeatedly. It still was not very often as a too extreme shift in behaviour would have been suspicious.

If they were smart, his prey wouldn't come after him at all. He himself certainly wouldn't have taken the risk to get back one man without any memories of his past. But the precog on Ciel's team had predicted a high likelihood that their plan would work. For whatever reason, the rough telepath they were after had a strong interest in the assassin.

Yaden fondly ran his fingers through his pet's hair. The man was in his favourite position, cuddled against Yaden with his head resting in Yaden's lap. He reacted to Yaden's attention with a content purr.

They were both lounging on a large divan. The food had been served on huge platters and consisted mostly of finger food. Yaden had fed his pet treats and enjoyed how gratefully his fingers were licked clean and suckled on each time.

His pet was a sensual creature. He craved Yaden's affection like a drug and would spend any time he was permitted snuggled close against his master. His memories might be gone, but his body clearly remembered as he thoroughly enjoyed soft touches and caresses as much as being grabbed hard and fucked until he screamed in pleasure.

Maybe that was why the renegade telepath would try to reclaim him. Maybe he had taught the assassin's body to sing to a man's touch like a well tuned harp.

Overall, his pet had proven a surprisingly pleasant addition to Yaden's life. He diligently took care of Yaden's quarters when he wasn't present and when Yaden returned, he was a quiet, adoring presence, waiting for any chance to please his master.

In a way his pet was lucky, Yaden mused. With so little past, he didn't need to worry about much of anything. Yaden was the sole focus of his existence. It made life so simple.

\--Yaden, I am detecting someone accessing the shell.--

Ciel's thoughts were as clear and concise as ever even though they had to come through the elaborate 'fake mind' that the brilliant telepath had created around Yaden. It would provide the renegade telepath with a target while Yaden's true mind would remain safe.

\--Interesting technique. He is very subtle. He is gently exerting pressure to make you go along with his wishes.-- Ciel informed Yaden. --He wants you to pay and leave with your pet. Not specific destination. I think he will guide you to where they are holed up. Makes sense that he would try to lure you to a location he controls.--

\--Can you locate him?-- Yaden asked.

Ciel remained silent for a moment. --Yes. He is outside in a glider. We could take him now.--

Yaden considered their options. Ciel himself was nowhere near physically and neither were any of the strike force they had put together, but all of them where ready to be ported in at the second's notice. Taking the rough telepath was what they had set out to do, but there was a good chance they might be able to capture more rebels.

\--No, wait.-- Yaden replied. --I will go along with his wishes for now, pretending he succeeded in controlling me. I want to see what he plans.--

\--As you wish. I will keep relaying his commands.-- Ciel agreed.

Yaden rang for the server, paid and then gently ruffled his pet into wakefulness. "Come on, sleepy head. We'll go for a little stroll."

\--Monitor my pet's mind as well. I want to know if the renegade tries to take control of him.-- Yaden told Ciel over their tight line of communication as they left the restaurant. The temptation to crane his neck to try and spot the glider which held the rough telepath was great, but he calmly walked down the street, following the vague sense of direction that Ciel was conveying to him.

The restaurant was located in the glittering commercial district, but Yaden was sure their destination would lie elsewhere. Security forces were everywhere, tightly controlling the mundanes who ran businesses here and creating a safe environment for psions who either shopped or worked here. It didn't take Yaden long to realize that they were heading towards one of the larger metro stations. Building a fast and accessible public transport system had been one of the many changes implemented after the psions had taken over.

His pet pressed closer against Yaden, as they entered a train, bound for the industrial district which neighboured the space port. There were security officers on the train as well, but the vast majority of travellers were mundanes, heading to their workplaces. Yaden reassuringly wrapped his arm around his pet and was answered with a relieved sigh. The high speed train needed only a few minutes to reach its destination. They emerged between warehouses and small factories.

\--He has relocated to the brick warehouse with the metal roof.-- Ciel updated Yaden. --That is where he wants you to head now.--

\--Anyone else in there?-- Yaden asked.

Again there was a short pause. --I think so but I can't be sure. His shielding is exceptionally good. No wonder he has managed to elude us for so long.-- Ciel answered. --I can only pinpoint him because he keeps the connection to the shell open.--

Yaden kept walking towards the warehouse calmly and then entered through an unlocked side door. Most other psions would have felt threatened by now. The times when psions had been hunted and killed by mundanes were not yet forgotten. Yaden, however, had walked into more dangerous situations before with much less backup.

The warehouse's inside was dimly lit by aging neon lights hanging down from the high ceiling. It was mostly empty and dusty with disuse, only a few scattered crates remained from whoever had used it last.

Yaden spread out his senses throughout the concrete floor. While telepathic shielding might keep the occupants secret to Ciel, it did not keep him from locating the familiar weight of human bodies standing hidden behind one larger stack of crates. He was disappointed to find only two of them. He had hoped for a bigger catch.

"Master, why are we here?" His pet asked timidly. By now he had to be deeply disturbed by Yaden's unusual behaviour.

There wasn't anything Yaden could do to reassure him since he was still pretending to be under the telepath control, but luckily he didn't have to. One of the two people behind the crates chose this moment to step out. It was a tall man, broadly build, with startlingly red hair that was cropped short in military fashion.

\--That's the telepath.-- Ciel provided helpfully.

The man's expression was deeply worried and he was focused on Yaden's pet. "Colin? Oh god, what have they done to you?" He whispered, coming closer. "Don't be afraid. I would never harm you."

So that was his pet's name. It fit him, Yaden thought. He watched as Colin stiffened next to him at the telepath approach and then suddenly gasped soundlessly.

\--Oh, that's interesting.-- Ciel immediately informed him. --The telepath had stored his memories. He is transferring them back to your pet now.--

With a little cry of pain, Colin stumbled away from Yaden's side and into the open arms of the telepath.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry." The telepath crooned softly. "I should never have let you go." He glared at Yaden, who is still thought under his influence. "If I had known I was able to control this monster all along…"

"Don't be a so sure of that." Another voice chimed in. A voice very familiar to Yaden, which he had thought he would never hear again. It was Anita's lost brother Ivan, who stepped out from his hiding spot behind the crates now. "His shields always were exceptional. This is way too easy."

Yaden hadn't been present when Anita and Ivan were targeted by mundanes. A foul attack using poison during a banquet which should have been a gesture of good will on both sides. Weakened by the poison, both of them had been taken prisoner to be used as bargaining chips. When the Council of Primes refused to negotiate, Ivan's death had been made a public spectacle, transmitted via pirated media, to incite the masses by showing them a powerful psion could be killed. He had died screaming in pain from the poison which ate him up from inside.

The psion forces searching for the mundanes hideout had not been in time to save Ivan, but they had reached Anita before she could suffer the same fate. Retaliation had been swift and brutal. Anyone even remotely associated with the rebels had been put down. Still Ivan's body had never been recovered. It had been presumed destroyed.

Now Yaden watched as a man he had once called one of his closest friends scowled at him full of hate and suspicion.

\--What the hell?!-- He thought at Ciel.

\--Hard to tell so quickly.-- Ciel answered. --The telepath is shielding him and his own shields are good as well. My guess is he has been thoroughly brainwashed or even mindwiped.--

Yaden agreed with that assessment. He just couldn't imagine that his friend would join the mundane rebels as a renegade psion. Especially after what they had done to him and Anita.

\--We need to take him alive.-- He told Ciel.

\--Agreed.--

"Kendrik?"

Yaden's attention was drawn back to the telepath, who still held his pet in a close embrace. His former pet, Yaden reminded himself. With his own memories returned to him, there was no telling what kind of personality he would show. He was clearly addressing the telepath and there was a mix of confusion and warmth in his voice that made Yaden sure that he had been right in his guess. There definitely was a close personal connection between Colin and the telepath.

"Do you remember me now?" The telepath, Kendrik, asked with a tentative smile.

"Yes, I… oh god!" Colin abruptly freed himself from the other man's arms to turn on Yaden. "You bastard! You… you…"

He was clearly at a loss of finding any word that would properly put voice to the boundless loathing and disgust Yaden could see in his eyes. It was high time to end this charade.

\--Can you neutralize Ivan?-- He asked Ciel.

\--Not quickly while still shielding you, no.-- His friend answered. --Should I send in the reinforcements?--

"I'm so sorry, love." The telepath repeated again. "I never should have allowed you to go. What they have done to you…"

"Stay out of my head!" Colin hissed, his hands balled to hard fists.

\--Yes.-- Yaden told Ciel. Then he quickly gathered up his powers for a decisive strike against Ivan. He'd have only one shot.

"Kendrik, he is…" Ivan got to shout, before he was suddenly encased in a massive shell of concrete which Yaden have pulled up from the floor. It was crushing him just hard enough to immediately knock him unconscious. He'd be bruised and maybe have a few broken bones, but nothing that couldn't be fixed later.

Yaden didn't feel the telepath's attack as Ciel's shielding was much too firm, he only felt the massive amount of energy expended. He smiled at the renegade. "Gotcha."

"You won't take us alive!" Kendrik snarled, whatever fear he might feel suppressed by his rage at being trapped.

Again Yaden felt how he gathered power, probably preparing to burn out his own mind and Colin's, but he didn't get the chance to use it. All around them special forces psions appeared and he was simultaneous attacked to shut down his mind and body as well as siphon off his energy.

"No… no!" Colin growled and flung himself at Yaden with the clear intention of killing him with his bare hands.

Yaden could easily have caught Colin, but he didn't have to. Two enforcers moved quickly to intercept the attack on a Prime. Colin's arms were twisted behind his back and he was forced to his knees while others busily secured Ivan and the telepath. With a shake of his head, Yaden stepped closer to his raging pet.

"I really don't see why you would hate me so much." He said gently, hunkering down in front of Colin.

"You stole my life from me!" Colin spit in return. "Turned me into your mindless plaything!"

Again Yaden shook his head. "I stole nothing from you. It's your friend over there," he gestured to the now unconscious telepath, "who erased your memory. When you came into my hands you were just a hate-filled shell."

"You murdered my family! Destroyed my home! My whole village!" Colin flung more accusations at him.

"Did I now?" Yaden had destroyed plenty of villages, towns, cities and once even half a planet in his work. He wasn't sure at all which one his pet might be referring to.

"You don't even remember, do you? You monster!" There were tears of pain and fury in Colin's eyes and Yaden found himself quite annoyed by them. He much preferred his darling happily purring. "On Leichnam. Three and a half years ago."

That particular mission Yaden remembered clearly. It had been a much harder fight than he had anticipated. "I do remember." He said. "The village was infested with demon-worshipping witches. Local authorities actually ASKED for my assistance. Destroying the whole village was not my intention, but it was an acceptable loss compared to what those witches were cooking up. They might easily have ripped a hole into the very fabric of reality."

"I don't believe you." Colin shook his head.

"And why wouldn't you?" Yaden reached out and took Colin's chin in a firm grip. "Have I ever mistreated you? I gave you a home. Happiness."

There was a short flash of doubt in Colin's eyes, but then he angrily yanked his chin from Yaden's grip. "I hate you." He hissed.

Yaden sighed. "Luckily, that won't last." He got to his feet and turned to the enforcers. "Do not harm a hair on his head! If I find a single bruise on him you will pay dearly. He will be delivered to Prime Ciel, who will bring back my loving pet."

"No!" Colin struggled in vain as the enforcers pulled him back to his feet. "Just kill me now! Please, just…" His words were cut short as he and the enforcers were ported out.

\---

"…the healers assure me that his chances of a full recovery are excellent." Anita took another sip from the red wine she and Yaden were enjoying. "It will be a lengthy and delicate process, though. Apparently he had some deviant considerations even before the rebels got a hold of him. I truly can not fathom why he would think mundanes deserve better after everything they have done to us." She sighed softly. "And then those bastards filled his head with even more crazy notions. I'm told he even believes that I somehow orchestrated our kidnapping and that I wish to harm him. My poor, dear brother. I hope I will be allowed to see him soon, I do worry about it."

Yaden reached out and laid his hand on hers. "Don't rush this, Anita." He told her gently. "It will take time to erase all those sick strands from his mind. We want them to be careful, don't we?"

She nodded and a small smile appeared. For the first time in a long time, it reached her eyes. "I'm just so glad that he is alive. I've missed him so much."

"Don't worry, he'll be fine." Yaden smiled back at her. "Ciel told me this morning that he is done with his interrogations of the renegade telepath. He will now personally oversee Ivan's treatment."

"What did they find out about that bastard?" Anita asked, an edge to her voice now.

"A lot." Yaden took a moment to sort through the lengthy report that he had received from Ciel. Much of it was strictly 'need to know' and not something to be shared casually over a glass of wine. "It seems he was acting as a spy and agent for a human empire outside our sphere of influence. I'm sorry, I can't share much. But we have uncovered much of the rebel network. Clean up is already underway."

Now it was Anita's turn to pat his hand reassuringly. "That is as much as I wanted to hear, really. I'm sure I will be informed should my services be required."

She sighed happily and leaned back into her chair. It was a joy to see her so genuinely relaxed and happy.

"How is your darling doing?" She then asked.

Yaden glanced down to where Colin was settled on a large pillow on the floor, his head comfortably resting against Yaden's knee. He had served their wine earlier, but now it looked like he had dozed off from the constant gentle stroking of Yaden's fingers at the nape of his neck. With everything but his name once more erased from his memories, he was back to his happy, carefree self.

"He is perfectly fine." Yaden said with a fond smile.


End file.
